Believing and Receiving the Desires of your heart

" Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” Proverbs 37: 4-5.

God does not change and neither does He give us things in a silver platter. Instead God changes us and our perspective in order for us to see things the way they truly are. Once we are changed we perceive things differently and are then able to change the situation.

Indeed Christ taught that “whatever things you shall ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” Mathew 21:22. He taught this message after He commanded a fig tree to die due to its lack of fruit and “immediately the fig tree withered away” (Mathew 21: 18). His disciples marveled that this could happen just by Christ speaking on the tree. Christ assured them that all it takes is faith without doubt of what one believes for the thing to come to Pass.

If God has given you a vision which looks impossible because of your current situation or because of the many obstacles facing you, remember the story of the fig tree and the words of Christ that “if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain , ’Be thou removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done” Mathew 21: 21.

The mountain maybe a financial handicap, a sickness, whatever the mountain is, what you believe and have faith for, you will attract. Having said that, how can we then get the desire of our heart?

Ways to actualize your desire

1) Establish your desire and then formulate a goal, one that is sharp, clearly defined and specific and not a fuzzy vague goal. Remember however that " To do righteouness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice" Proves 21:3.

2) Pray about the goal to ensure that you are in step with the Lord for "a man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" Proverbs 16: 9. Continue praying until the thing come to pass in line with what Christ taught concerning praying without ceasing,Luke 18:1-8.

3) Put the goal into your conscious mind, holding the image there tenaciously until it sinks into the unconscious. Remember it takes faith to get what you want and "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" Hebrews 11:1

4) Give it all you have got of thought, effort, imagination and innovation and do not forget that God works in us and we work it out, Philippians 2: 13

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/503089_believing-and-receiving-the-desires-of-your-heart#ixzz1PlIf98E6

Toby Ord Leads the Way to genuine Giving

Through a survey done by Coca-Cola in 2010, the people of East Africa, revealed that money contributed least as a source of happiness. Good health , knowing that loved one’s were okay and good friendship were top in the list as sources of happiness.

The survey showed that the source of happiness is based more on simplicity than on more money and gadgets. Toby Ord, a thirty year old academician at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, actually proves that this is true. Dr Ord pledged to give one third of his £33,000 salary to charity living him with £20,000 to live on for the year.

Toby also pledged to give one million sterling pounds in the course of his career and to ensure this happens he further pledged to give 10% of his income through out his working life.

Dr Ord is married and lives with his wife in a one bedroom flat (apartment). His wife works as a junior doctor and has also pledged to give “away everything over £25,000” of her salary.

What makes it possible for Dr Ord to do what he is doing is that he is not materialistic and has discovered that life is not made up of the abundance of stuff but in the simplicity of the little things that life brings to us. He says that "The things I gain most from – spending time with my wife, with friends, listening to beautiful music, reading beautiful books – don't cost money."

In a materialistic society where one is judged not by the conduct of their deeds but by how much gadgets and money they have amassed, Dr Ord’s action is commendable. It seems like we live in a generation where the amassing of things is of more importance than investing on relationships.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/498570_toby-ord-leads-the-way-to-genuine-giving#ixzz1OLmRE7dv

Meditation Prayers to Remove Blocks in our Lives that Hinders Growth and Success

Life is a journey and that journey starts from conception. That little seed has potential of growing into something big. Considering that a human being is both physical and spiritual then as we grow physically we also ought to grow spiritually.

We all have a purpose to fulfill in this world in the days given to us. Moses recognizing this prayed, “teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” Psalms 90:12. When Moses died and Joshua succeeded him in leadership, God approached Joshua and instructed him on what to do if he was to find success in his calling.

God asked him to meditate on His word “day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” Joshua 1:8. Meditating on the word helps us understand what is right and what is wrong in God sight. But with understanding comes the responsibility of doing that which the word calls right.

The prayers addressed here are aimed at dealing with certain elements in our lives which scripture shows are contrary to God’s will for our lives. If we do not deal with these elements we will find ourselves going round and round in circles without progress and wonder why.

Everything we do must always start with our relationship with God and this is why it is important to meditate on His word. The greatest commandment is to love God first with all our being and the second is to love others as we love ourselves, (Mathew 22: 37-39).

1) Removing blame: When we blame others for the happenings of our lives, it is because we feel betrayed and have allowed anger to take captive of us. We must remind ourselves that scripture teaches that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose, (Romans 8:28). We therefore need to forgive according to God’s command and Let Him be the arbiter of the situation. If you find yourself in a blaming frame of mind, ask God to help you forgive and remove the blame in your heart and restore the love that He has called us to operate on.

2) Removing Depression: Depression is caused by many reasons and is manifested in the loss of joy. Scripture teaches that the joy of the Lord is our strength. When we lose this joy it shows that there is a disconnect with God and we need to act to reconnect. The Psalmist writes “my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope” Psalm 16: 9. Recognize that true joy is far deeper than happiness. We can feel joy in spite of our deepest troubles because we have learnt to be content in whatever state we are in. Instead of allowing yourself to fall into depression, pray that God will show you who to reach out to and express the love of God in you because it is in giving that we recieve.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/331594_meditation-prayers-to-remove-blocks-in-our-lives-that-hinders-growth-and-success#ixzz1OLhZ7H5w

Believing and Receiving the Desires of Your heart

“ Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” Proverbs 37: 4-5.

God does not change and neither does He give us things in a silver platter. Instead God changes us and our perspective in order for us to see things the way they truly are. Once we are changed we perceive things differently and are then able to change the situation.

Indeed Christ taught that “whatever things you shall ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” Mathew 21:22. He taught this message after He commanded a fig tree to die due to its lack of fruit and “immediately the fig tree withered away” (Mathew 21: 18). His disciples marveled that this could happen just by Christ speaking on the tree. Christ assured them that all it takes is faith without doubt of what one believes for the thing to come to Pass.

If God has given you a vision which looks impossible because of your current situation or because of the many obstacles facing you, remember the story of the fig tree and the words of Christ that “if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain , ’Be thou removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done” Mathew 21: 21.

The mountain maybe a financial handicap, a sickness, age, but whatever the mountain is, what you believe and have faith for, you will attract.  How then can we ensure we get the desire of our heart?

Ways to actualize your desire

1) Formulate a goal, one that is sharp, clearly defined and specific and not a fuzzy vague goal. Remember however that "a man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" Proverbs 16: 9.

2) Pray about the goal to ensure that you are in step with the Lord. Christ taught that we ought to pray without ceasing until we recieve what it is we want based on our faith, Luke 18: 1

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/503089_believing-and-receiving-the-desires-of-your-heart#ixzz1NwwooE57

Understanding Your Righteousness in God

“ not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” Philippians 3: 9.

No amount of law-keeping, self improvement, discipline or religious effort can make us right with God. The righteousness that comes from God is by faith through Christ. If it was by law or works, none of us would be right with God for His standards are way beyond our reach.

Our righteous comes by trusting Christ for God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” 2 Corinthians 5: 21. At our conversion, Christ righteousness is poured into us for God’s offer is to trade His righteousness for our sin.

By nature we tend to be attracted to that which is contrary to God. However when we accept Christ as our Lord and savior, God works in us “ both to will and to do for His good pleasure” Philippians 2: 13. God knowing our nature and weaknesses helps us to want to obey Him and also gives us the power to do His will.

God does not leave us alone in our struggles, but instead He comes alongside us and help us to “work out” our salvation, Philippians 2:12. When we make mistakes, we know that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, 1 John 1: 9.

Confession eases our consciences and lightens our cares which helps us to be at peace with God. Unconfessed sin gives the devil ammunition with which to continuously torment us. True confession involves a commitment not to continue sinning because one has a changed heart and not because they are caught.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/503081_understanding-our-righteousness-in-god#ixzz1NwvD0ESt

The complexity of the Sabbath Day

The Sabbath day has always been an issue of controversy with most Christian denomination. It is not the observance of the Sabbath that is an issue but the day of observance.

According to scripture “six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work. —-. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” Exodus 20: 8-11.

As can be seen the day is a gift to us from God in honor of His work of creation. The Sabbath is therefore a day that remind us of our dependence on God and is day that is meant to be spent in worship of God and on reflection. A time for refreshment and renewal because as human beings we need to be reminded to stop and rest.

The observance of the day should however not enslave us to rules and regulations as some do. For as Christ said, “ the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” Mark 2:27. In other word God created the Sabbath for our benefit and not for His. We are the beneficiary of the Sabbath because if we take time to rest and to focus on God we are restored both physically and spiritually.

In the Christian denomination Sunday is considered the day of rest by many but certain denominations like The Seventh Day Adventist church (SDA) take the rest on Saturday.

In the Western world it is hard to tell the difference between the Sabbath day and other working days because people work Monday to Sunday. It seems that there is no particular day for rest even amongst those who claim to be Christians.

Read more: http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-complexity-of-the-sabbath-day/#ixzz1KgZwM8rR

Remaining Steadfast and Focused while in the Wilderness

As one reads and studies scripture, it becomes more and more clearer that the old testament was a preparation of the things to be manifested in the new Testament. The children of Israel were a physical manifestation of the church which is the spiritual Israel.

The children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt for over four hundred and fifty years before God Sent Moses to physically deliver them from Egypt and lead them to the promised land (Exodus 3: 7-10).

Their deliverance was a physical manifestation of God’s eventual spiritual deliverance of His people from the bondage of sin through Christ. Paul writing to the Romans says “ now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, Romans 3: 21-26).

In fact Paul shows that the promise of God to Abraham, whom Israel claim as their father, that he would be heir of the world “was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect----. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” Romans 4: 13-17.

When God delivered the children of Israel from bondage, He first put them in the wilderness where He fed them with manna from heaven before He ushered them into the promised land. In the wilderness the children of Israel sometimes expressed their rebellion and would complain of their hardship and wish they were back in Egypt. God sent a plague of serpents to punish them for their rebellious attitudes and many were bitten by the serpents and died, Numbers 21: 6.

After the children of Israel repented against their rebellion to Moses, God asked Moses to “ make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live” Numbers 21:7-8. What God was teaching the children of Israel was obedience. God’s ways might sometimes not make sense to us and that is why we must die to self in order to understand God.

God expects complete obedience to His instructions if we are to be saved from our enemy. In this scenario the children of Israel needed faith in God to do what was required of them. It thus followed that those bitten by the serpents and doomed to die, could be healed by obeying God’s commandment to look up at the elevated bronze serpent and believe that God could heal them if they did (Numbers 21:9).

Teaching on the concept of salvation, Christ used the wilderness experience to connect the Israelites event with his purpose. He said that “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:14-15. God has provided all human beings the means to be healed of sins deadly bite just like he did to the children of Israel in the wilderness.

When we look up to Jesus Christ and accept him as our savior by faith, then sin has no power over us because God deposits the Holy Spirit in us who helps us in our weaknesses. Apostle John writes that “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in Him; and he cannot sin because he has been born of God” 1 John 3: 7-9.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/470339_remaining-steadfast-and-focused-while-in-the-wilderness#ixzz1JNSU2mTm

Being Content with What you have and Where you are

“--- I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need” Philippians 4: 11-12.

Do you find yourself miserable because of certain life circumstances that you find yourself in? Are you worried constantly at how you will manage things? We are living in difficult times and as such there are many people who are having to do with very little. Others are faced with health issues that limit what they can do. The question is how are you handling the situation that you find yourself in?

A few years ago I was meditating on the word of God in prayers concerning certain difficult situations in my life. I was miserable because I needed certain things to change as well as wanting more materially. Obviously I was looking at life from a worldly perspective as opposed to God’s perspective. Suddenly I received a revelation that all I needed I already had. I had been so focused on what I did not have and forgot to appreciate what I had, which in reality was all that I needed.

Many times we miss the daily joy of life because we are too focused on what is not or are engrossed with worries for tomorrow. We want more to fill the emptiness in our lives instead of filling the space with Christ. Christ warned us against worrying about life issues like food, clothing, shelter amongst such because life was much more than that, Mathew 6:25.

Worry has many ill effects, apart from robbing us the joy of living. Instead of living for the moment and accomplishing what we can with what we have, we tend to forfeit what we have in pursuit of what we do not have. The reality of the matter is that if one is not thankful of what they have now, they will still not be thankful when they have those others things that they desire.

Paul in his epistle to the Philippians, shows that he had overcome this problem by learning to focus on Christ and alludes to the fact that he “can do all things through Christ who strengthens me“ Philippians 4:13. Indeed scripture states that Jesus is “ the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12: 2) and in all things we should focus on Him and avoid being overwhelmed by circumstances surrounding us.

Paul was content because he saw things from God’s perspective. He focused on what he was supposed to do and not on what he felt he should have. He had detached himself from the nonessentials so that he could concentrate on the eternal.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/460463_being-content-with-what-you-have-and-where-you-are#ixzz1JNPWi6lW

Wait Upon God and Do not fret

Jesus encouraged us to persist in calling on the Lord through prayers without quitting until the issue that troubles us is fulfilled, Luke 18: 1-7. Waiting on the Lord renews us as we rest and the Lord does the work for God “the creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary” Isaiah 40: 28.
Waiting upon the Lord requires faith. Faith that God is who He says He is and He is able to meet the need in question. Scripture says that “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”, Hebrews 11:6

We also need to commit the thing that we are praying about to God and trust that God is able to bring it to fruitation. David in Psalms 37 implores on the believer to “commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to Pass” Psalm 37: 5.

Our waiting must be in God alone. Many times we say that we are waiting on the Lord but in reality we are trying to do things our way. Isaiah writes that “---those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” Isaiah 40: 3.

When we do this God will come through for us “ For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him” Isaiah 64:4.

Why God waits before acting:

1) Waiting on God makes us focus on Him than on our desires. God uses our waiting time to teach, refresh and to renew us. This is why the Psalmist calls on us to “delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” Psalms 37:4. To delight in the Lord entails us knowing Him better and appreciating His great love for us.

2) God uses the waiting time to stretch our faith. This is the time we will know the condition of our heart. God is never late the way we understand lateness, for a thousand years in God’s sights is like “yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night” Psalm 90: 4. Many people confess their faith in God until that faith is tested. Our faith is meant to grow as we understand God even more.

3) Our motives may also be wrong when we approach God for something. The waiting period helps us adjust our motives to fit with God’s will for the situation.God is more interested in our character development than in making us happy therefore “wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” Psalm 27: 14.

4) The circumstances of what we ask for may not be right. For example one maybe praying to get married when they are not ready. The words of the wise one say that “hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life” Proverbs 13: 12.

5) The waiting period reminds us of God’s sovereignty and the fact that without Him we are hopeless. Jesus said that He was the “Vine” and we are the “branches and “as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. --- for without me you can do nothing”, John 15: 4, 5.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/442164_wait-upon-god-and-do-not-fret#ixzz1JNMsahs9

Have you entered the sabbath rest?

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His” Hebrews 4: 9-10.

Have you ever felt like the Lord was calling you for a conversation and when you obeyed you knew He was warning you or reminding you of something? Well that happened to me not long ago when I was feeling disturbed in my spirit but did not know why. I tend to be like apostle Peter sometimes, where I do mighty things in the name of the Lord but get overwhelmed when I take my eyes from the Lord and view my circumstances from a carnal mind and start drowning.

Let’s face it, the ways of the Lord are hard to fathom and only our faith in Him can sustain us. Sometimes one feels like the Lord does not take cognizant of time or has forsaken them and in the process worry unnecessarily. Jesus reminds us that “which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” Mathew 6: 27. This is where I was when the Lord called me for a conversation.

Sometimes the Lord closes certain doors in our lives that we perhaps previously found our self worth in. He makes us to be totally depended on Him living on a day to day basis. In the process God teaches us to trust in Him and to receive from Him. The Lord may do this by removing you from a place of comfort and move you to a foreign place away from your security. The challenges may be many but it is in this place that you learn to depend on the Lord for your sanity.

As believers we always claim to be depended on the Lord and it is easy to say that when we are financially alright, we are healthy, our relationships are working well, our children are doing what we expect of them among such issues. But what happens when such securities are taken away from us? Will our actions be compatible with what we say we believe? The only way we can know is when we are tested by having such confidence taken away from us.

According to scripture “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him’ Hebrews 11: 6. In the midst of our trials our faith conditions us to know that God is able to see us through and that He holds the key to our deliverance. It will be in the midst of these challenges that the Lord proves to us that He is all we need in the long run, for "He is".

James writes “ Show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe -and tremble!” James 2: 18-19. James is saying that our faith will show in our works. It is not enough to have an intellectual assent about God, for even demons do that, but the truth of what we believe in will be manifest through our thoughts and conduct. And sometimes it is in our trials that our faith is proved.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/367661_have-you-entered-the-sabbath-rest#ixzz15CG0w5O4

Understanding the Peace of God

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” John14:27.

What is peace? When we call on peace what do we really mean? Can we have peace in the midst of injustice? Can we have peace without resolving our conflicts? Can we have peace without rights?

According to Dictionary .com, peace includes the lack of war, a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, freedom from civil commotion and violence in a community, freedom from strife, freedom of mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, and a state of tranquility or serenity. As observed from this defination, peace is dependant on something happening or in the change of circumstances

The peace of God on the other hand is not conditional to circumstances outside our being. The peace of God is a state of being regardless of the circumstances. When we accept Christ in our lives we receive the Holy Spirit whose work in us produces a deep and lasting peace. This peace ensures us a sound mind when we would be anxious and distressed under normal circumstances.

Sin, fear, uncertainty, doubt and numerous other forces are at war within us. The peace of God moves into our hearts and lives to restrain these hostile forces and offer comfort in place of conflict. Paul in his epistle to the Philippians says “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God , which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6-7.

Peace in this regard is a condition of mind that releases you from fear, anger, anxiety and pain even when the circumstances in the natural would warrant a different response. The peace of God is a gift as Jesus said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” John14:27.

The peace of God is manifested in those who understand the sovereignty of God. They understand that God is in control of every situation and that there are times that He will allow things that we do not like to happen if it serves the bigger picture. The perfect example is that of Him allowing Jesus to suffer death in a most shameful manner as a way of reconciling human beings to Him.

Jesus who understood the domain of God manifested peace even at His death. This is why it was possible for Him to pray that God would forgive His killers “because they did not know what they do” Luke 23:34. A normal human being would have been angry and exasperated at being so humiliated and beaten for something he was no guilty of.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/357975_understanding-the-peace-of-god#ixzz15CEYKt3x

The dangers of momentary pleasures

“The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps” Proverbs 14:15


Life is hard no doubt and sometimes it doe seem more difficult for some people than others. Many times we are faced with situations that look impossible and assume that we have to act fast otherwise we will die or lose the opportunity. At such time we may act secretively and refuse another counsel perhaps because we assume by so doing we may waste time or we may be dissuaded against acting as we wish when in our mind that is all we want.


Perhaps it could be greed that takes captive of our thinking or just pure lust. How many people are in heavy debt today because they acted impulsively or were greedy for more? How many have destroyed their marriage because of momentary lust? How many have betrayed loved ones for something they craved for? The problem with such actions is that they lose sight of the future.

At first we may feel satisfied and sometimes even powerful because we have got what we set out to get. However the price for acting impulsively is sometimes too high and cannot be reversed. A good example in scripture of a person who acted impulsively for a moment’s desire was Esau. Esau was Jacob’s older twin brother. By virtue of his position he had the eldest son birthright which entailed a double portion of the family’s inheritance together with the honor of one day becoming the head of the family.

Esau was also his father’s favorite son while Jacob was his mother’s favorite. Esau was “a skillful hunter, a man of the field” while Jacob was “a mild man dwelling in tents”, Genesis 25:27. One day Esau came from working from the field and he was hungry. His brother Jacob in the meanwhile was making some tasty stew at home. Esau asked for some stew from Jacob and Jacob being the trickster he was saw a chance to get what he wanted.

Read more at http://www.bukisa.com/articles/261220_the-dangers-of-momentary-pleasures

The dangers of a Prideful life

Pride makes us blind to our faults. We assume that we are better than others and look down on others that we consider less than us.


Scripture warns in many places about the danger of pride. Pride is always associated with wickedness because it really is a cover up for our failures and insecurities. In Psalm 73:6 the writer suggests that to the wicked “Pride serves as their necklace”. A necklace is a jewelry that enhances the neck while taking away attention on a person’s others qualities that may not be so attractive.


Similarly, a proud person will dwell on their achievements, looks, power or whatever it is that makes them proud because it covers their weaknesses. Some it is the pride of being born in a wealthy family or a privileged class or country but the familiar thing is the assumption that one is better than others.

Jesus also taught of pride that arises out of self righteousness. In the parable of two people who prayed, Jesus showed how pride can make us blind to the condition of our hearts. It can lead to stagnation of faith in the assumption that you know it all. The Pharisee was so full of his works and considered himself better than “other men- extortioners, unjust, adulterers or even as this tax collector” because he “fasted twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess” Luke 18:11-12.


Read more at http://www.bukisa.com/articles/258278_the-dangers-of-a-prideful-life

What is your vision for the New Year?

Enlarge your house with glue

At the beginning of each year many of us have high hopes and dream of how things will be better. We make resolutions and set goals with the hope that they will come to pass. But many of the so called resolutions and goals are not met because while we are quick to make the resolution or goals we do not provide for the ways or means of achieving them. We do not set time frames and neither do we consider the challenges that we may encounter. If we did all these we would be better prepared to meet the challenges ahead and give our dreams the opportunity to come to pass.

Between your dream and its fulfillment you will be tested. Sometimes you might be the only one who believes on the dream and therefore find that you will need faith to sustain you. The story of Joseph and how he sustained his dream is worthy considering. He had to maintain his faith in a hostile environment, and believe in a dream nobody else believed in. He had no dreamer’s support network cheering him on, he had to stand alone. All he had was his faith based on his knowledge of God. God rewarded Joseph’s zeal for Him for scripture says that “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” Hebrews
 Full article at  http://socyberty.com/advice/what-is-your-vision-for-the-new-year

What are you hearing and where is your faith?

What have you been hearing lately? How is this affecting you? What we hear has a way of affecting our thinking and the way we think we become. Daily the media bombards us with news which is repeated on and on and with time we start believing the message. There are many contradictory news that could leave one confused if one were to accept such news as gospel truth. This is why it is important to consider where you get your news from and who you are listening to.


Have you ever felt so confident about something and had such faith about it and then you heard a nay sayer and your faith was completely shattered? I have found every time I attest to something my faith is tested on what I have attested to. Recently something drastic has happened to test the faith of someone that I receive emails from frequently. This person is an inspiration to many in the Christian business sector and writes blogs and words of encouragement to others. Not long ago he decided to venture in the area of healing attesting that God is still in the business of healing. http://relijournal.com/christianity/what-are-you-hearing-and-where-is-your-faith/ for further reading

The Act of Forgiveness

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” Mathew 6:15-15.

Many times I hear people exhibit in anger wishes for death or some form of evil to someone who has hurt them or committed some heinous crime against them or their loved ones. We live in a world where everyone talks of their rights. People are quick to rush to court to enforce their rights and therefore the element of forgiveness in line with scripture requirements is laughable. We say that people should pay for what they did and when someone gets a sentence that we feel is less than we anticipated we cry wolf. It seems in this era of rights people are more vengeful and they want to draw the last blood. They vow to never to forgive the person for the acts committed against them. This kind of response I have heard with both Christians and non Christians alike.

For further reading go to http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-act-of-forgiveness/

Don't lose your Dream: You are on your way.

” The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all” Ecclesiastes 9: 11.

Have you found yourself in a place in life and wondered how you got there or what you are doing there? Sometimes life just does not seem to add up. Perhaps you were raised up in a nice family, had a good education and expected that everything would work out well for you according to the standards of the world. Today you look at your life and wonder what went wrong or why things are not what you anticipated. You wonder whether it is worthwhile to keep on striving when nothing seemingly seems to work. Well do not give up on yourself or life yet. The most important thing when examining your life is to first establish what your purpose is. You may just be surprised to find that things as they are actually make sense. This will help you persevere in the journey you are in.
For further reading go to http://relijournal.com/christianity/dont-lose-your-dream-you-are-on-your-way/

The peace of God

A lot of people in the world today are searching for peace. Many seek it in work, others in family others in alchohol and other destructive lifestyles. But what is peace? When we call on peace what do we really mean? Can we have peace in the midst of injustice? Can we have peace without resolving our conflicts? Can we have peace without rights?

The peace of God is not conditional to things being okay in our lives but is a state of being regardless of the circumstances. It ensures us a sound mind when we would be anxious and distressed under normal circumstances. Paul in his epistle to the Philippians says “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God , which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. Philippians 4:6-7. Read more of this blog at http://relijournal.com/religion/the-peace-of-god/

The Renewed Person

Therefore if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Scripture reveals that becoming a follower of Christ is not just a matter of tradition. It is not about being born in a family, a particular country or ethnicity and therefore becoming one by virtue of association. On the contrary, Scripture shows that this is a conscious decision that one must personally make and in so doing, certain things must happen.

Jesus preached the message of repentance because the kingdom of God had arrived, Mark 1:15. He told Nicodemus that “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”, John 3:3.This means that to belong into or to enter the kingdom of God entails the spirit of a human being rejuvenated to conform to the will of God. It is personal and its entrance requirement is repentance and a spiritual rebirth. Read the rest of blog at http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-renewed-person/

The question today is how different are you since you believed? Examine yourself and see whether you are faithful to what you believe.

The Spiritual Life.

The nature of the human person before sin entered his being was righteousness and holiness. This is evident by the way he related to God in the Garden of Eden. God had warned Adam that if he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would die, Genesis 2:17. By eating from the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve sinned against God and were thus forbidden to eat from the tree of life which was also in the Garden of Eden. The consequence of this was a separation from God and a miss of eternal life with God.

Scripture says that God is holy and those who worship Him must purify themselves. Indeed David writes “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol” Psalm 24: 3-4. God has set standards for us just like He did with Adam and Eve. Read full article at http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-spiritual-life/